King of Hearts
by m00shrum
Summary: Kaiba is accused of abusing his little brother and the police take Mokuba away to a temporary home. Desperate, Kaiba runs to Yuugi for help. Perhaps the heart of the cards can prove to be useful in Duel Monsters, and even more, in life itself. [Repost]
1. Prologue

****

I wrote this story AGES ago. And it was posted ages ago, too, until someone hacked my account. It was sort of like an excuse to stop working on it, but damn, I love this story SO MUCH so I needed to put it back up. Yes, here is the same story I posted on August 25th, 2003. Enjoy. XD

- - -

PROLOGUE

"You've been lying to yourself, Seto," he whispers. "Stop your stupid obsessions. Please, stop this insanity…" A small pair of hands latch themselves onto my shoulders from behind. "You're scaring me. Stop it. You're scaring me."

I pay no attention to the begging voice. It is as if my eyes have somehow glued themselves onto the white screen.

"You're scaring me," he repeats, the note of panic rising in his voice. "Look at me!" The fervent grip shakes me violently. High-pitched whispers gradually become cries of despair. "Look at me! Seto! You're killing me, Seto!"

At this, I tear my attention from the computer. The hands weaken and slip from my shoulders. I can feel the seething rage pounding in my throat, just waiting to be released. I swallow and close my eyes, inhaling the bitter air.

"How… dare you?" I manage to breathe. As I open my eyes, I see him cautiously backing away.

"Please… I-I'm sorry. I'm sorry." A tear trails its way down the paling cheeks. He whimpers in terror, lifting his sleeve to wipe away the small triggering display of weakness.

That loses me completely.

"I don't want to hear any of this shit coming from you!" My leaping heart threatens to choke me. "Get out! Get the fuck out of this house!"

The cloudy amethyst eyes look into my own one last time before turning away. I watch as my little brother scampers out the door and disappears. Is it pity those eyes evoked from me? Or is it rage?

I have learned that emotions cannot be classified.

- - -

I sit for hours, staring at the open door. What the hell have I done? After all those years of caring for Mokuba, have I really been lying to myself? _Am I going insane?_

No, that can't be it. I still know who I am. "I'm Kaiba Seto," I say aloud. "Owner and CEO of Kaiba Corporation; a sophomore student at Domino High; former brother of Kaiba Mokuba…" I feel myself going stiff.

My breathing comes out in raspy lengths as I raise my trembling hand to my eye-level. This can't be happening. I had meant to say "former son of Kaiba Gozaburo," but somehow, it came out wrong. Everything is wrong.

The security buzz interrupts my daze. _Mokuba…_

I trip over to the device and linger for a few moments before pressing my finger over the green button.

"Mokuba?" I hear myself crack. "Is that you?"

It is silent for a while before a gruff voice finally answers. "This is the police. We found your brother buried in knee-deep snow around the corner. He claims he was only 'going for a walk.' We believe otherwise, Mr. Kaiba. He has been crying the entire time. I'd suggest you—"

"Shut up!" I yell, startling myself. "I don't have time for your nonsense! Just bring him back!"

Pause.

"I'm sorry, sir," the voice says. "I'm afraid we cannot do as you ask. We are filing you for abusing your brother. He will be taken to a temporary home until he is ready to be handed back over to you. You will be allowed…"

The rest of his speech become nothing but a slur of words as my legs buckle and I lower myself onto the floor.

__

No…

The world is collapsing on me. My blurry vision settles onto the blazing computer screen. _This isn't real. I can't believe I'm allowing a mere dream to do this to me. Get up, Seto. You're weak, pathetic._

I stumble back to my computer, not taking my eyes off the surface of codes. _Wake up, Seto._ With one fleeting motion of my arm, I swipe the laptop off the desk, watching it unplug and clatter to the ground. The screen flashes before blanking out completely.

- - -

****

Note: Oh, god. I can't believe I wrote this crap. It's so… emotionless. I need longer paragraphs, better vocabulary… whacks myself on the head Kaiba's mind is really getting to me. Heh. I love him though. And Yuugi. By the way, later chapters will definitely be longer. Remember this is only the prologue. Constructive criticisms are most welcome. I'm begging you all to review and tell me your honest opinion.

Kaiba: You're pathetic.

Lanlan: I believe you're the pathetic one in this story. Mwahahaha.


	2. Part I

DAY 01 - (07:45)

The daylight leaking through my window woke me up the next morning. I shivered and reached around for the covers, but found none. Tossing and turning, I finally gave up and opened my eyes, realizing that I must have somehow passed out yesterday on the floor. I looked down at my wrist-watch. It was nearly eight. _Mokuba should be up by now._

Groggily, I stood and felt my way down the stairs and into the dining room. There was no one in sight. I reminded myself the servants were off on Saturdays. Mokuba had to be in his room, playing video games. I found myself trudging back up the stairs to his door.

"Mokuba?" I called, tapping lightly on the door several times.

It was eerily silent in the house. Everything seemed so dead today. Even the sunlight lacked its usual warmth. From the large window at the end of the hall, I could see the bare trees outside, snow occasionally slipping from the thinner branches. Perceiving no response from Mokuba, I knocked again, making sure he would be able to hear me this time.

I sighed. _Maybe he's using the bathroom._ I made a note to myself to come back in a few minutes before leaving for my room.

A broken laptop was lying on the carpet near the desk. _My_ broken laptop. I could see the shattered pieces coming back together in my mind.

__

"You've been lying to yourself, Seto."

Suddenly, I felt my body break down into uneven sobs. I clutched handfuls of my hair, trying to ease the unbearable pain that seemed to come from within my body. Gasping for breath, I crawled away from the laptop and toward my bed, pressing my head into the soft mattress as far as it would go, but this did nothing for me but to suffocate me even further.

__

"Please, stop this insanity…"

But how could I? _You're gone, Mokuba, and I think I am truly going insane. Even now, I am being selfish; I am wishing for your comforting presence. Help me._ I dug my fingers into the silky sheets, leaving uneven strings of scratch-marks.

__

"You're killing me, Seto!"

I lifted my face from the bed and screamed until my throat became dry with silence. _Had I gone so far as to kill you? _As hard as I tried, the tears just wouldn't come. How sweet suicide would have tasted at the moment…

The phone rang.

For a fraction of that second, the world stopped spinning. The phone was still ringing when I regained my consciousness. I forced myself over to my desk, not taking my eyes off the blinking green light. After an unknown amount of rings, the light turned red and the answering machine came on.

"Kaiba? Kaiba? Please pick up. Please be okay," a small voice whined over the line. "I know you're home right now. The police called us this morning to inform us about Mokuba."

I froze, but the words continued.

"I just need to make sure that… Oh, Kaiba! Just answer me… for… for your brother. I-I'll stay on for as long as I need to. Please, I'm begging you! Answer me, Kaiba!"

__

For my brother…

I gingerly reached for the phone, grasping the cool metal in my hand and bringing the mouthpiece to my chapped lips, only to find that no word or sound could come out.

"Kaiba? Is that you?"

I pressed the phone so hard into my jaw that it hurt. "Y-Yuugi?" The begging tone sounded nothing like Kaiba Seto would ever use. A warm tear tickled my cheek. Finally. "Help me," I whispered to no one in particular. I was drowning in my own disaster. "I need help…"

"I'm coming," he said, his voice shaking nearly as bad as my own. "I'll be there. I promise. Just wait for me." He paused to breathe for a few moments before continuing. "Please… try to stay alive. Mokuba still needs you."

- - -

(08:20)

My jaws trembled slightly from the numbing cold as I stood, leaning against the trunk of a tree near the gate, my jagged breaths forming small clouds. A light buzz managed to reach my ear, dampened by the unmoving air. Yuugi was outside the gate, his thick scarf wrapped so tightly around his face that only his eyes could be seen.

I entered in the unlock code with stiff fingers.

His eyes widened to a larger size than usual as he stepped in, the gate closing behind him. "Kaiba!" he exclaimed, the scarf muffling his voice. "You're not wearing a jacket!"

I chose to ignore this and turned my face toward the blank sky, unsure of what to think. A scarf was being wrapped around my neck, the soft fabric still warm from its previous user. I was too frozen to object, remaining motionless until the scarf was fully covering my shoulders.

"We should go inside before you freeze to death," said Yuugi. As I looked down at him, I noticed his nose and cheeks were flushed pink from the icy mist.

__

"…before you _freeze to death."_

For a brief second, my eyes met his compassionate violet ones. My emotions wavered between scorn and gratitude. I began walking toward the house, motioning for him to follow. It took a moment for me to realize that Yuugi had taken my hand in both of his and was rubbing them gently with his woolen gloves. Abruptly, I pulled away and almost regretted doing so as I caught a glimpse of his hurt expression.

He didn't argue. Instead, he lowered his eyes and continued to follow my lead.

- - -

(08:35)

"Hot chocolate?" I muttered out of sheer politeness.

He shook his head, his golden bangs kissing his cheeks. "Aren't you going to make some for yourself?" he asked as I walked away from the counter. "You look as though you need it."

I shrugged and sat myself down across from him, feeling a bit stoned.

"It must be hard for you…" whispered Yuugi. "Do you want to talk about your emotions?"

A harsh laugh escaped my lips. From the corner of my eye, I could see the shock written on his face. Emotions? Where was I to begin? I didn't even know how I felt. Grieved? Hopeless? Indifferent?

I lowered my head in self-disgust. Did Mokuba mean nothing to me? A small hand reached over and placed its palm over my reddening fingers, pressing the warmth into my skin. The pleasant tingle traveled through my arm and I felt my body give into the touch.

"I don't know," I said. The brazen remarks formed in my mind seconds ago seemed to have washed themselves away. "I don't… feel anything."

The fingers squeezed my hand. "How can you say that, Kaiba?" he pleaded. I didn't need to look to know his eyes were brimming with tears. That foolish weakling. His pity was worthless to me. "Mokuba is so important to you…"

"I don't need you to tell me what I think," I snapped, snatching my hand away. I was secretly furious that he was so moved over this, that he appeared to have more concern for _my_ brother than I did.

"I'm so sorry," he murmured, backing in his chair. From fear? Or from surprise? "It's just that… I really want to help you."

At that moment, I realized just how much I hated myself for picking up that phone call. _If only… If only I had ignored the ringing…_ But who knows what would have happened if I hadn't answered.

__

"Please… try to stay alive. Mokuba still needs you."

Mokuba would be back, Kaiba Corporation's profits would rise again, and soon, everything would return to normal. Unconsciously, I lifted the heavy cloth that was still draped across my shoulders and buried my face into it.

"Kaiba?"

The voice was like honey in my ears, sticky and irritating, yet somewhat soothing. Before I knew what was happening, a pair of comforting arms had wrapped themselves around my chest. A drugged sleepy feeling overcame my senses and I lowered the scarf, leaning into the hug. The sweet scent of Yuugi's fleece overcoat made its way into my nose. I released a shaky sigh as I rubbed my damp cheeks against the soft fabric.

I was crying.

Horrified, I shrank away from the over-trusting boy as reality sank in. What the hell was he doing to me? Was this his sick way of torturing me even further? "Leave," I growled. "And if you say a word of this to anyone, I swear I'll strangle you." I walked him to the main entrance of the house and opened the door for him to exit. "The gate will be unlocked for you." _He's only here to make fun of me, to watch me fall apart…_

But the look on his face told me otherwise as I slammed the door shut. That was when I realized I was still wearing his scarf.

- - -

(12:35)

"What would you like to have for lunch, Mokuba?"

__

My brother grinned. "I want a hot dog," he replied immediately. "With ketchup and onions, just like the ones we had in New York a few summers ago."

"But a hot dog isn't special," I said. "Anyone can make them."

__

He looked at me with puppy-eyes. "They are_ special when _you_ make them, Seto."_

I sighed, knowing that I've lost. "All right," I muttered in feigned disappointment, drawing out the ingredients from the refrigerator. "Hot dogs, it is. But don't regret the decision halfway through your meal." I ripped the sausage pack open with the tip of my chopsticks, carefully dropping two links into the boiling pot of water on the stove. After placing the lid over the steam, I began slicing the fresh onions on the counter. I could feel my eyes watering each time the knife came down on the onion.

__

Mokuba giggled. "Seto, you're crying!"

I sniffed, wiping the tears away with the sleeve of my shirt.

__

"Don't cry," he comforted, wrapping his arms around my waist. So he's decided to play along._ I felt my lips twitching as he tightened the hug. "I'm here for you, just like how you're always there for me."_

This time, I couldn't be certain whether or not my tears were real.

- - -

(16:10)

Mokuba's hot dog was still untouched when I came back into the kitchen. Yuugi's scarf hung neatly over the back of Mokuba's chair. I stood at the door, motionless, staring at the cold plate on the table, until the sound of the phone ringing finally woke me up.

I ripped the receiver from the wall. "What do you want?" I spat.

For a moment, it was silent on the other end. Then, the same creamy voice from this morning answered, "Hi, Kaiba. This is Yuugi. I just wanted to make sure you were okay."

Who the hell did he think he was? My savior?

"Oh, yes," I replied, flooding my voice with sarcasm. "I feel wonderful now that Mokuba's out of my life."

He was losing, and I intended to keep it that way. "That's not what I—"

"Good-bye, Yuugi," I said, smashing the phone back onto the hook. I strode over to Mokuba's chair and reached for Yuugi's scarf, planning on tearing it to shreds, but changed my mind as my fingers came in contact with the velvety fabric.

- - -

(20:55)

__

Why were you smiling then, Mokuba? Was it because you knew your brother was going to become the world's top duelist and the CEO of Japan's largest technology corporation? Or was it because you were simply glad to be with me?

I closed the locket in my hand.

__

Either way, I've failed you, and that is perhaps my biggest failure of all.

The phone rang for the third time today. I picked it up without hesitating. "Yuugi?"

"No, sir," a man answered. I pictured a large red face with masses of facial hair. "This is the police calling. Is this Kaiba Seto speaking?"

I narrowed my eyes. "Where is my brother?" I demanded. "I want to talk to him."

"Your brother is safe with us, sir," he said. "We've taken him to a children's home away from the city. He'll be staying here for two weeks. The food and water is good and there are other children he can—"

"I don't care," I interrupted. Why should I care what _he_ thought of the place? I wanted to hear Mokuba tell me. "Let me speak with him."

Silence.

Then, "I'm sorry, sir. You will not be permitted to contact him in any way for the next two weeks. We will be handing him back to you in exactly thirteen days. That should be a Friday, sir."

__

"…handing him back to you…"

"You fucking bastards," I growled. "I don't want you to 'hand him back' to me in two weeks. I want you to bring my brother back to the house he should be living in, _now_. He belongs here, with me."

"That's against orders," the police said. "Have a good night."

Click.

__

You forgot the "sir," you ass-hole.

I threw the receiver down and fell back onto my bed, the card-shaped locket still buried in my palm.

- - -

****

Note: Aaah! How did I end up writing such a long chapter? Well, this is a new writing style of mine and I hope everyone likes it. Will this end up with the Yuugi/Kaiba pairing? Hmm… I don't know. But that hugging paragraph was majorly hinting at _something_, or at least sounded that way. By the way, I love all you people who reviewed!

Sorry, _Chikorita-Trainer1_, I doubt there will be a lot of brotherly fluff in this story. More like friendly fluff between Yuugi and Kaiba.

Kaiba: Yuugi? Where?

Lanlan: I think it's safe to say that you're even more obsessed with the cutie than I am. ruffles Yuugi's beautiful crown of silky hair

Yuugi: blushes

As _yamachan is my man_ pointed out, Kaiba would probably never yell at his brother like that. I can assure you that he didn't want to, but Kaiba Corp is supposed to be falling apart and that poor boy has to "snap" sometime (as _Dillon_ put it).

Kaiba: I'm not a poor boy, I don't have to snap, Kaiba Corp is not falling apart, and Mokuba is my life.

Lanlan: Awww… sniff

Wow… I wrote that Mokuba's eyes were amber? Thanks for telling me, _moonymonster_. It's just that I was once obsessed with someone (who's nickname happened to be Moony) and every fanfic author I knew, including myself, used "amber" to describe his eyes. I guess I wasn't really paying attention when I wrote the last chapter. And thank you for telling me the _real_ color. I changed it to "cloudy amethyst." I must have a thing for stones or something…

Kaiba: Amber isn't a stone. It's a fossil.

Lanlan: Shaddup. I'm the author.

Kaiba: Which happens to be the reason why I think my brother has yellow eyes…

That was the longest note I've ever written! Anyway, please review (good or bad)! It really helps me!


	3. Part II

DAY 02 - (10:00)

I was writing on my own will, with pen and paper when there were computers in the house other than the broken one in my room, and in a spoken language, not some programming code nobody understood. I was going insane in the attempt to maintain my sanity.

__

Things and People of Importance

Mokuba

Kaiba Corporation

Duel Monsters

Could I think of nothing else? Did my sad life honestly revolve only around these three? I reread the list. Kaiba Corporation? Kaiba Corporation wasn't as important as my brother, which meant that it could go to hell. The same went with Duel Monsters. But something else had came to mind while I was writing the list, some_one_ I didn't want to admit I cared about. _Perhaps 'importance' doesn't imply love._

I hesitated before adding Yuugi's name to the bottom of the list.

- - -

DAY 03 - (07:50)

__

You'll be back, Mokuba, but I wouldn't blame you if you never forgave me after these two weeks. You should have began hating me years ago, yet you trusted me. I don't deserve you, little brother. I don't deserve your love and respect. I've let you down too many times. If it means anything at all now, I'm sorry.

I glanced at the clock and realized I've been lying awake on my bed for nearly two hours. The snow outside was only a blur of white. I reached over for the cellular phone on the bedside table, the one that had remained untouched for what seemed like years. I double-checked the number before pressing the send button.

"This is Kaiba Seto speaking," I said, surprised at how raspy my voice had become. "Shut down every Kaiba Corporation facility for today. Any workers who arrived at work have my permission to leave." Just as I was about to end the phone-call, I caught a last few words from the employee.

"Have a nice day, sir."

A few seconds later, when I finally opened my mouth to say, "You, too," he had already hung up.

__

Too bad.

It took another moment for me to realize someone was ringing the bell at the gate. Part of me was curious to see who it was. The other part of me suspected a certain person, but couldn't decide whether or not to answer. I closed my eyes and leaned back on the bed, grinding my head into the pillow. The air inside was becoming stuffy and the heater only made it worse.

Someone knocked on the bedroom door. Could Yuugi have somehow gotten past the security systems? Not likely. Besides, it was Monday and school was still in session.

I glanced down at my pajamas and a Blue-Eyes White Dragon stared back at me, confirming my choice of not opening the door to answer. "Who is it?" I called. "What do you want?"

A woman answered, "Thank goodness you're all right, sir. Shouldn't you have left for school an hour ago? And where's the little Kaiba?"

How moronic of me to think an intruder could have snuck in. I felt my anger rising. What right did a simple-minded maid have to scold me about school or remind me of Mokuba? "My schedule should not be of your concern," I growled. "And neither should my brother."

"I'm sorry, sir." She began to walk away, her footsteps fading down the hall. Suddenly, they stopped, and the heels began clicking back in my direction. She knocked again. "Oh, one more thing. I almost forgot."

"Yes?" I muttered impatiently, idly tracing a figure of the Blue-Eyes on my pant leg with my pinky.

"There's a sweet little boy waiting outside the gate. He says he has something for you."

__

So it is_ Yuugi._

"Tell him to take whatever he has for me and get off my property."

I could almost see the startled expression on the maid's face. "Oh!" she gasped. "Well, I… But, sir, I can't tell him that! He… You'd have to see him to understand. Can I at least accept the little gift for you?"

My eyes fell upon the scarf draped over the bedpost.

"Actually, let him in. Warm some milk for him or something. I'll be down in a minute."

"Yes, sir," she answered, sounding somewhat delighted, before finally leaving me to my short-lived peace.

I peeled off my pajamas and pulled a turtleneck over my head. As I did this, I felt something cold press itself against my chest. Reaching down, I tugged the locket out of my shirt and carefully folded the collar around the string that held it.

A light buzz sounded as the front door was opened. I hastily grabbed a random pair of pants from the closet and threw them on. _White? I never wear white pants. _The thick corduroy felt cool against my fingers and I realized it was the pair Mokuba bought for me around two months ago on my birthday. I began to take them off but decided against it, fastening the last button.

When I arrived at the kitchen door, I heard an eruption of giggles coming from inside. "Oh, no!" a maid was saying. "I couldn't do that if they're for Mr. Kaiba, but thank you for offering."

"Take one," I heard Yuugi say. "I ate one myself before I came."

"But if it's for Mr. Kaiba…" another maid whispered before trailing off. I recognized her voice as the one I spoke to earlier.

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind," Yuugi said gently.

Feeling disgusted, I stepped into the kitchen. "Wouldn't mind what?" I asked, interrupting their senseless little conversation. I watched as the two maids stared in horror before giving a little curtsy and running off.

"Good morning, Kaiba," Yuugi greeted, eyeing my pants with an expression that was somewhat knowing and suspicious at the same time. He was sitting in the same seat as he did two days ago, wearing the same jacket and a different scarf. In his hands was a plastic box the size of a textbook with a blue lid.

I frowned and sat down next to him. "Why are you here?"

When he looked up, I noticed for the first time how young he seemed for his age. If I hadn't known better, I would probably have thought he was around the same age as Mokuba. There was so much trust in his eyes.

"Well, school is closed today and I happened to wake up early so I baked some cookies for you."

__

"…I baked some cookies for you_."_

What was I supposed to say now? Thank him? Refuse the offer? Think of some smart remark and send him off in tears? Thankfully, he spoke again before I had the chance to answer.

"Have one," he said, removing the lid for me. "They're still warm."

"What makes you think I'll take one of _your _cookies?" That wasn't supposed to come out, but it had already slipped.

He opened his mouth to say something and closed it, staring at me with the most pain-flooded eyes I had ever seen. Then, he shakily lidded the box and placed it on the table as if the cookies inside were poisoned. I watched as his fingers reached for the Millennium Puzzle that hung around his neck.

__

Oh, yes. Call the five-thousand year old spirit to help you.

To my surprise, the hand dropped, and Yuugi was still Yuugi. "I'm sorry," he said casually. "I guess it_ did_ sound as if I were forcing you to take one. You didn't have to."

I peered at him closely. His eyes were still round and innocent. Perhaps he wasn't as helpless as I thought.

"Well, now that you've… offered your cookies—"

"Oh," he cut in. "That's actually not all I came here for."

I shot daggers at him. "What?" I snapped. My patience was running low. All I wanted was to bury myself back in bed and flip through old photographs of Mokuba.

"I know this is difficult for you, Kaiba—"

"Don't give me this bull-shit," I hissed. I was so close to the edge. "I don't want to hear another word from you concerning my well-being."

He sighed weakly. "Well, all right. Let's talk about something you like."

"I'd rather not," I replied, adding a touch of iciness to my voice.

"Duel Monsters?" he asked hopefully.

I shook my head. "I don't need another lecture about the 'heart of the cards.'"

He gave me a sugary look, tilting his head as his small pink lips curving into a sheepish smile. His cheek caught a dim ray of light from the window and steadily, he ran his fingers through his outlandish mass of hair. He didn't seem to be offended at all. _Damn him…_

"Let's play a game, Kaiba," he stated simply. For a brief moment, I caught a flicker of crimson in those large violet eyes.

It was an offer I simply could not refuse. I nodded tersely, waiting for him to continue.

He didn't. Instead, he silently fixed his eyes onto my own until I couldn't tell whether they were red or purple or indigo. I could clearly picture the thick raven hair, just asking to be ruffled, the innocent yet somewhat aware expression. The contents in my chest sank as I stared into those mesmerizing eyes. _I need you, Mokuba. Without you, I'm helpless, even around Yuugi…_

- - -

(09:55)

I slowly shifted my weight on the mattress and felt the warm touch against my arm disappear. _What the hell happened? _The truth hit me as I opened my eyes to see Yuugi's concerned face hovering over my own. I sat up, trying to contain my trembling shoulders, and found myself on one of the living room couches.

"How are you feeling?" he whispered softly, standing up from where he was kneeling so he could face me.

I shook my head, unable to speak.

He took my hand and gave it a little squeeze. "Have you been eating enough lately?"

"Yes," I croaked. 'Go away,' I wanted to say. 'I never want to see you again. I never want to see _anyone_ again.' My throat felt dry and scratchy and my tongue was nothing more than a sticky lump in my mouth.

"Mo—" He began to say something, but stopped himself. "You don't look it," he corrected.

__

My health does not concern you.

I looked away, secretly hoping for him to disappear. Moments later, a hand holding the same plastic cookie box from this morning appeared under my nose. I lightly pushed it away.

"Have a cookie," he said, ignoring my action and opening the lid as he did earlier. "It'll make you feel better."

I couldn't refuse now. Gingerly, I slipped my hand into the box and purposely chose a small one. "Thanks," I muttered, not exactly sure of what to do with the chocolate-chip cookie that was now slipping between my clammy fingers.

Yuugi gave a childish giggle. "Eat it," he urged, sinking his teeth into his own cookie. "It's still chewy."

I took a bite. 'Chewy' wasn't exactly the right word to describe it, more like 'glutinous' to be precise. It would have been pleasant if I hadn't been so thirsty, but for now, it only succeeded in gluing my jaws together. I pinched my nose and with much effort, swallowed the sweet clod in my mouth.

"Thirsty?" he asked, reaching over for the pitcher on the glass table that was normally used for guests. Grabbing a disposable plastic cup, he smoothly poured the water in and handed it to me.

With a few mouthfuls, the cup was empty. I placed the cup on the table and leaned back into the couch. Not surprisingly, Yuugi plopped himself down next to me. For a long peaceful while, we sat in silence, watching the snowfall from the full-length windows. I suddenly remembered how Mokuba loved to wrap himself behind the velvet blue curtains and look out the window with his nose pressed against the glass on rainy days. Sometimes, he would be sitting on the floor, scribbling on his notepad. Other times, he would be reading a book or doing his homework. But mainly, he just stared, almost as if he were deep in thought about something or someone…

"Kaiba?"

I blinked, withdrawing from my daze. "I'm fine," I replied automatically. I wasn't about to pass out again, not in front of Yuugi.

He looked doubtful, but nonetheless, gave a kind and satisfied smile. "The police called my house the other day to confirm Mokuba's location," he said. "He's about fifty miles away at the Abu— local children's home in the area. They said he'll be back in two weeks."

__

He'd better.

"Thank you for informing me," I murmured sarcastically.

Yuugi shrugged. "Just thought you might have hung up on the police, too."

I growled under my breath. Was he making fun of me? Well, I wasn't about to let him. "At least the phone-call from the police was _important_," I sneered. "You, on the other hand, are only butting into my business."

He lowered his eyes, bottom lip quivering. When he looked up again, I was positive the spirit of his puzzle had taken over. A new display of confidence could be seen across his young experienced face. "No, Kaiba," he said, his voice considerably richer. "You _need_ my help. As much as you love your brother, simple affection will not bring him closer."

"Don't reason with me, _Yuugi_," I growled, making sure I spat the name with the same comtempt I felt at the moment. "I don't need your advice. My brother is _my_ brother, so I'd suggest you stay out of this."

His eyes hardened. "You're right," he responded in a mock tone, giving me his signature glare. "With an attitude like that, I simply have no choice, and neither do you."

This was my true rival, the one I loathed yet couldn't help but admire so much. Strange, how the real Yuugi could put up with him. They seemed to come from separate dimensions. In a way, they did. Then again, Yuugi could tolerate _anyone_.

"Good," I said. "Then I will continue to leave you with no choice. You are welcome to leave anytime."

He stood, a few good inches taller than usual, and looked down at me. "True, but my aibou is worried, which means in a sense, so am I." Suddenly, his tone softened, sympathetic and imploring. "Please, Kaiba. You must listen to me— my other half. He will know how to help you."

I was about to say 'I don't need anything of yours' when his puzzle gave the faintest glow and he fell back down on the couch, back to being Yuugi again. "I'm sorry," Yuugi apologized as if he had just gravely insulted me. "My other self can be a bit harsh sometimes."

"Mm."

I wasn't looking at him, but I knew he was watching me.

"Honestly, Kaiba," he said, "you can't just keep pushing help aside when you need it. You gone so far to even push Mokuba away when he tried to help you. He was so worried…" His voice trailed off and it took me a few seconds for the words to register in my mind.

"You've been talking to him," I finally hissed, unable to seal the jealously out of my voice. "You kept him away from me. If it hadn't been for you, he would still be here and you'd be somewhere else."

But I knew it wasn't true. I knew I was lying to myself… again.

"Yes," he admitted. "I have. Mokuba is quite a character."

For a second, I was seething. _Quite a character?_ I raised a shaky finger. "You," I whispered. "I hate… no, I _despise_ you, yet my brother… he would choose to… he would leave me for… for you." I gulped and lowered my hand, entirely aware that my little display had made no sense whatsoever.

"You shouldn't say that. He loves you more than anything else. Maybe… maybe if you had given him a chance—"

"W-What did he tell you?" I stammered, mostly out of curiousity.

Yuugi tilted his head slightly. "Mostly how he feels about you," he responded without hesitation. "He told me how you never ate anything and he was so scared that you would work yourself to death. He…" He paused, as if deciding whether or not he should continue. "He told me that he cried every night for you, hoping it was all a bad dream." I shut my eyes tight, praying that he was done speaking, but he wasn't. "He would _die_ for you, Kaiba."

__

Oh, Mokuba…

I heard a blue sigh escape Yuugi's lips. "I'm sorry," he said timidly. "I wasn't supposed to tell you all of that, but I thought it was for the best. Maybe I should leave now… so you know, you can… think about it." He rose from the couch.

"Wait," I said, standing up myself. The tips of his hair barely reached my shoulders. "Your scarf is still in my room." The moment those words came out, I realized how it sounded as if I had purposely kept his scarf in _my_ room, but he didn't seem to have noticed.

"It's all right." He shrugged naturally and rearranged the new scarf that dangled around his neck. "You can keep it… as a gift."

"I'm not poor," I stated simply, too tired to offer anything more offensive. "And a used scarf isn't exactly a gift."

He gave me a look that was both sad and full of content. "True, but how can you say that the warmth you received from the scarf that day wasn't? A gift is something that comes from the heart."

I shook my head, unwilling to argue further, and silently walked him to the front door. He gave me one last smile before walking toward the gate and disappearing into the unstained snow.

- - -

(19:30)

I reached for another cookie before dragging my legs up the stairs to the bedroom hall. My throat throbbed from the unaccustomed amount of sugar I had consumed the entire day, but I finished my eighth cookie nonetheless.

I paused to examine Mokuba's door as I passed by, noting the little sign that hung from the doorknob that read: _KEEP OUT!_ Below that, in a messy scrawl of red ink I recognized to be his handwriting, was: _(Not you, Seto. You're welcome anytime.)_ My lips twitched and I hesitated before slowly pushing the door open.

A poster of the Blue-Eyes White Dragon taped above the bed post caught my eye, the one I had given him a few years ago when I had decided I was too old for posters. Various articles of clothing were scattered around the bed, including a pair of plaid boxers that I didn't remember buying for him. It was a wonder how someone related to my neat self could be so disorganized.

Smiling and nearly in tears, I bent over and began picking up his dirty socks, tossing them one by one into the laundry bin, matching the colors in my head. Unable to find one of the white socks, I checked around the bed one more time. But this time, something else captured my attention.

There was a little shoe-box hidden carefully at the corner of his bed, its brown color blending in almost perfectly with the wood of the bedstead. I gingerly took it out of its hiding place and placed it on the mattress. After examining it, I noticed it wasn't dusty at all. Before I could stop myself, I reached for the lid and gently lifted it aside.

Inside was a stack of torn envelopes, each one the same size and neatly filed against one another. Post-it notes had been carefully used as date tabs, arranged in perfect chronological order, the more recent ones in the front. Unable to contain my curiousity, I reached inside and pulled out the first envelope, nearly dropping it when I read the return address.

It was from Yuugi.

- - -

****

Note: Hey! I'm _really _fourteen now! I'm so happy. ahem Anyway, sorry for all you shounen-ai fans. I've decided to have no romance in this fic. It ruins the plot and mood way too much. (Of course, it sounds hinted because I'm so used to writing it.) Besides, both Yuugi and Kaiba are reserved for Yami only, not each other. Mwahaha. (No, actually, Kaiba and Yuugi is my favorite couple, but Yami's the sexy one.)

Kaiba: You freak…

Yuugi: Don't worry. Yami's all mine. =D

Yami: whispering to himself Yes! He likes me!

Hey, _Vappa_! I'm so glad to hear from you! Are you planning on going into Yu-Gi-Oh fandom, too? Eep! I hope you do. I really love your writing style and it's so hard to find good fanfics these days. Kaiba fans unite! Yeah! ;;

Kaiba: Noooooo! oO

Raven: Hi.

Kaiba: Who are you?

Raven: It doesn't matter, but it seems like everyone has a thing for cold and heartless people like us.

Fans: You boys are only pretending because of your tragic pasts!

Kaiba/Raven: sweatdrop

(By the way, has anyone read the Yu-Gi-Oh mangas? If you haven't, buying them is really worth it because it looks a lot better than the anime. If you can read it, you should buy them in an asian language because it's just that much more accurate. I'm currently reading book 33 in Chinese, so yeah. Pharaoh Yami is mad HOT. He has sexy legs, and I _know_ that should convince you, right?)

Please review, people! If there's something about the fic you don't like, or you just want to point out some stupid mistake (spelling and grammar count, too) I made, I'm begging you to tell me. I don't bite! Honestly! Also, if you have time, check out my Yami shrine (soon to be a personal Yu-Gi-Oh fanart site): yuugiou.pineapple.nu. Or you can check out the prequel to this story: Go Fish (one-sided Mokuba/Yuugi).


End file.
